Plans by President Donald Trump to reinvent a Washington DC public course as a potential host for the Ryder Cup and other major championships have been temporarily stalled by a federal judge.
Earlier this year Trump outlined an ambitious redevelopment of East Potomac Golf Links, declaring that the finished layout would be capable of staging the biggest events in the game. “When completed, this course will have the ability to host major golf tournaments, including The US Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events,” he wrote in a lengthy social media post.
Work began over the weekend with the removal of more than 400 trees. That activity was brought to a halt early this week, however, when US District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary order blocking any further tree felling until 26 October. Reyes is already presiding over a legal challenge to the project.
The judge had earlier cautioned that proceeding without proper authorisation would carry “serious consequences.” At an emergency hearing on Monday she sharply criticised government lawyers for failing to notify the court before the weekend clearances. “More than just being upset and furious right now, I am just beyond disappointed with the government,” she said.
Opposition to the scheme has been fierce. The National Links Trust launched a lawsuit after the administration ended its operating agreement with the nonprofit in December.
Trump has repeatedly characterised the existing facility as unfit for purpose. Speaking in June he called it “very dangerous” and “outdated,” adding: “Many of the trees are badly damaged from years of neglect, putting people in great danger from falling branches, and the trees falling themselves. Additionally, the sprinkler system is gone, there is no filtration, and the remaining sprinklers are incapable of even doing 10% of what is needed. The grass is largely dead, the greens are virtually unplayable, and the course is in very poor general condition but, after many years of horrendous maintenance and little money devoted to the process of upkeep, we have determined that this location can bring tremendous success and prestige back to Washington, DC.”